SWE in PLACENTAL DYSFUNCTION

Abstract

Objectives—The aim of this study was to determine whether shear wave elastography of the placenta differs between normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia between 20 and 23 weeks’ gestation.

Methods—A prospective study was performed with 204 consecutive singleton pregnancies that had routine anomaly scanning between 20 and 23 weeks’ gestation. One hundred twenty-nine of these patients were examined with shear wave elastography; 101 women who had clinically normal pregnancies with normal fetal biometric measurements and normal deliveries without any perinatal complications formed group A, and 28 women who had a clinical diagnosis of early-onset preeclampsia before anomaly scanning formed group B. Women with either posterior placentations (n = 63) or other obstetric disorders (n = 12) were excluded from the study.

Results—Shear wave elastographic values for group B were significantly higher than those for group A (P < .05). No statistically significant difference was found between the elasticity values measured at the center or edge of the placenta (P > .05).

Conclusions—Shear wave elastography differentiates between the placental elasticity of normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia when performed during the second trimester. As a new method for tissue characterization, shear wave elastography is useful for evaluation of placental function and can be used as a supplement to existing methods for prediction of preeclampsia.

METASTATIC CERVICAL LYMPH NODES on V T I [ARFI]

Abstract

Objectives—The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography for the differential diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes.

Methods—Virtual touch tissue imaging (Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) was analyzed in 81 patients (mean age, 46.6 years; range, 5–82 years) with 81 lymph nodes (45 metastatic nodes and 36 benign nodes).

Results—Most benign lymph nodes were slightly darker or the same in brightness compared with surrounding tissue, whereas most metastatic nodes were obviously darker. The mean area ratio of benign lymph nodes ± SD (1.05 ± 0.15) was statistically lower than the mean area ratio of metastatic lymph nodes (1.39 ± 0.20; P < 0.001). The area ration cutoff level for metastatic lymph nodes was estimated to be 1.16. With the use of a receiver operating characteristic curve with this cutoff value, the area ratio predicted malignancy with sensitivity of 91.1%, specificity of 83.3%, and an area under the curve of 0.925.

 

Conclusions—Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging is feasible for cervical lymph nodes. The Virtual Touch tissue imaging technique can complement conventional sonography, thereby making it easier to diagnose cervical lymph nodes.